9. Course Information
UGBA 198: Marketing Thought Leadership
Haas School of Business, Spring 2016
Day/Time:Thursday, 6-7:00 PM
Location: Cheit C125
Instructor:Tai Tran
Email: taitran@berkeley.edu
12. Course Objectives
Understand the past, present, and future state of the marketing industry
Understand the importance of emerging global marketing trends
Understand the development and management of a company’s marketing strategy
Understand the process of analyzing corporate strategy with new marketing tactics
Understand the steps to developing an effective thought leadership through publishing
13. Course Evaluation
Online Publishing 400 pts 40%
News Journals 150 pts 15%
Assignments 150 pts 15%
Participation 200 pts 20%
Thought Leader
Interview
50 pts 5%
Twitter Chat 50 pts 5%
This course is taken on a P/NP
basis. In order to pass, you will need
to fulfill ALL of the listed
requirements:
(a) obtain >=800 points (80%) and
(b) have no more than one
unexcused / excused absence.
Note: Due to the size of this course, late assignments will NOT be accepted.
Please plan accordingly.
14. Attendance & Course Policies
Attendance will be taken at each class. You will receive a late arrival/early leave penalty if you
arrive late (after 6:15 pm) or leave early (before 7:00 pm), where two penalties = one absence.
You are given ONE unexcused/excused absence. You may make up ONE additional absence by
completing an additional online article (topic of your choice) and receiving a satisfactory grade on
the assignment (>=80%), which is due the following class after your absence at 6:00 PM via email.
Note that this absence make-up exception can only be used once.
You will receive a No Pass (NP) if you miss more than ONE class.
Electronics Usage in Class Policy
Electronic devices (i.e. smartphones, laptops, tablets) cannot be used in class. They are distractions
that take away from class time, and disrespectful to speakers and group presentations.
Name Plaque Policy
Please bring and use a name plaque at every class as it will make it easier for name and face
recognition. Students without a name plaque will receive in one participation point penalty per class
session.
15. Online Publishing
You will publish four online articles throughout the semester. Your publication
represents your personal brand and also the course, thus write to impress.
They will be graded with close scrutiny. Previously written articles may NOT be
repurposed or used in lieu of this assignment. You MUST publish as an
individual and not your company, aka you should not be publishing as part of
your internship or job. All posts must be published via LinkedIn or Medium.
Each student will have a different prompt for each of their four articles.
16. News Journal
You will read and critically assess a recent marketing-related article published
within fourteen days of the assignment deadline. You will write a free-
response journal analyzing the article. Questions to consider:Why is this
newsworthy for you as a marketer? How can brands use information found in
this article to make better business decisions? Which brands are winners and
losers based on this article?
Although the journal is free response, please do not simply summarize the article. All
news journals must be submitted via bCourses with a 250 words minimum. Please
provide the link, title, and the headline of the article at the top of your journal (this
information does not count toward the word count). Journals below the minimum
requirements (i.e. word count) will be given no credit.
17. Assignments
Six assignments are assigned throughout the semester. Includes: Introductory
Paper, Thought Leadership Assessment, Writers Discovery, Speaker Series
Assignments, Reflection Paper.
A1: Short introduction about yourself (year, major, past marketing experience if any),
why you are taking this course, and three things you hope to learn.
18. Participation
We all learn and participate differently. In this course, participating comes in
several forms to cater to every student’s different style of learning: in class,
office hours, online (Facebook and LinkedIn), and surveys. We expect the class
to be fully engaged in every session, including those for guest speakers and
peer presentations.
Note: Participation is graded holistically, which means while enthusiasm and
engagement during class will be a positive, being distracted or on your phone in
class will be a negative.
19. Thought Leader Interview
Find and choose a thought leader that you would like to interview. I highly
recommend that you reach out to someone who writes in any function of
marketing: digital, social, product, corporate, public relations, and
communications.
They can be from Forbes, Adweek, Adage, Fast Company, Social Media Today, Social Media
Examiner, or LinkedIn. For LinkedIn, the writer/contributor must be an Influencer, Top
Voice, or someone who writes at least once a month with at least 5,000 followers. No
exception will be given to the above criteria.
Documentation of completion will be required and submitted via bCourses. More
information will be given in class.
20. Twitter Chat
During the semester, you will be participating in a Twitter chat with
@MillennialVoices, a channel on millennial thought leadership and ideas.
You will be required to create a Twitter account, follow @MillennialVoices, and engage in
at least two Twitter chats. The chat ranges from open discussions on a chosen topic to
guest speakers.
There will be roughly 3-5 of these throughout the semester, thus you should schedule
accordingly to attend at least one. You are encouraged to attend multiple chats.
21. First Assignment
A1: Short introduction about yourself (year, major, past marketing experience if
any), why you are taking this course, and three things you hope to learn.
Due:Thursday, February 4, 2016, in class (6:00 pm)
Submission: For this first journal, you will turn in a PHYSICAL COPY. Subsequent
journals will be submitted via bCourses.
Format: 250 words, 12-font size, Times New Roman, 1-in margins, double space.
Remember to include your name.
22. Enrollment & Course FAQs
Q. Can I audit the course?
Q. How to increase my likelihood of getting accepted?
Q. When is the class held?
Q. Can I apply to Marketing & Networking as well?
Q. When is the class held?
23. Enrollment
Register your information on this form now:
http://bit.ly/UGBA198S-SP16
Deadline to submit application:
January 30, Saturday, Noon
Expect to hear back by:
Tentatively January 31-February 2
Confirm enrollment ASAP
(or your spot will be forfeited):
Within 12 Hours of Acceptance
Stay in touch:
/taictran @taictran
Questions?
Thanks for the interest!